Cuban bread is a light bread traditionally made with all white flour and lard, giving it a unique taste and texture. It is often eaten for breakfast or in Cuban sandwiches and is well known in South Florida. The bread is easy to make with few ingredients, including flour, salt, sugar, yeast, water, and lard. Some recipes use a sponge for a richer flavor and better texture. The loaf is cylindrical in shape with pointed ends and has a distinctive seam along the top.
Cuban bread is considered the daily bread of the Cuban community, particularly in the United States. It is the bread traditionally baked in the country of Cuba, yet it is only outside of Cuba that the name “Cuban bread” is used. A light bread, it is usually made with all white flour and has a very thin crust with a soft interior. Traditional recipes call for the use of lard, and many argue that this ingredient is key to creating the bread’s unique taste and texture. Although Cuban bread is found in many places where Cubans have settled, it is especially well known in South Florida.
The ingredients in Cuban bread are few and preparing the bread is not complicated. Typically, bread flour, all-purpose flour, or a blend of the two are used. The flour is combined with small amounts of salt and sugar, yeast, water and melted lard. Some recipes substitute vegetable shortening for the lard.
Many versions use a sponge; a mixture of flour, yeast and water mixed the night before baking the bread. The sponge rises overnight before adding other ingredients to the dough the next day, giving the loaf a richer flavor and better texture. In lieu of a sponge, some bakeries reserve a little bit of the dough each day to add to the next day’s ingredients.
A wide seam along the top of each loaf is typical of Cuban bread. This can be done simply by properly trimming the top of the raised loaf with a sharp knife. In South Florida, some bakeries place a palmetto leaf on top of each loaf as a garnish.
The leaf splits the loaf as it rises in the oven and then chars during baking, giving the seam a distinctive look and color. All loaves of Cuban bread are cylindrical in shape with pointed ends, but the width and length vary slightly from place to place. They are usually about as long as half a baguette of French bread.
Cuban bread is often eaten for a light breakfast or snack, especially with café con leche or Cuban-style coffee. It’s also a key ingredient in Cuban sandwiches. The smooth taste and light texture of Cuban bread make it ideal for these thin baked sandwiches, traditionally filled with ham, cheese and pickles. They are flattened during the baking process using a special grilling press that works well with the density of this type of bread.
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